HUNTSVILLE, Ala. ( WHNT ) — November 18-25 is Operation Christmas Child donation week, and Evangeline Franzon, who received a box as a child, has made it her mission to share her story in hopes of inspiring others to donate.
“Remembering how my mom asked me and my younger siblings and my older brother to go to bed hungry….that is my worst nightmare,” Franzon said.
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Although, for Franzon, that nightmare was her reality. She grew up on an island in the Philippines right next to a dump site.
“She and my older brother would go to the dumpsite to look for things to sell, like things that you can find in the dump you know, cardboard boxes, empty bottle water, metals that they can find, so my mom can provide food for us,” said Franzon.
Around the holidays were no different.
“I remember so many times when mom didn’t have money and she would just ask us to go to sleep,” said Franzon. “She would sometimes tell us, ‘Tomorrow, maybe we can have food.’”